President Trump says peace with Iran comes down to two words: "unconditional surrender." In a Truth Social post Friday morning, Trump declared there would be no agreement to end the US war against Iran unless Tehran fully capitulates and installs new leadership, CNBC reports.
- "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before," Trump wrote, adding: "IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. 'MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).'"
Oil markets reacted quickly. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed past $90 a barrel after Trump's message. Earlier, Qatar's energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, warned in an interview with the Financial Times that if the conflict continues to choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil shipments, prices could surge to $150 a barrel within weeks, a spike he said "could bring down the economies of the world."
Trump's ultimatum comes as Iran has yet to choose a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the war. On Thursday, Trump said he must be "involved" in choosing the country's next leader and warned that Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son, is "unacceptable."
- Hours before Trump's post, Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said some countries had begun mediation efforts to end the war. "Let's be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation's dignity & sovereignty," he said on X. "Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict." He didn't name the countries, but Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and Oman have offered to mediate since the US and Israeli strikes began last Saturday, the Guardian reports.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
